Never Doubt I Love
by Nuwanda
Summary: Prom season comes around, and Hamlet only has one thing on his mind: inviting Horatio. But when Ophelia has other plans, what's our tragic hero to do? Slash, HamletHoratio, and AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Still most definitely incomplete, but I felt if I had part of it posted, it would give me motivation to finish the damn thing. I wrote a ton of it a while back, then it got erased cause my computer hates me, so I've been grouchy and not wanting to finish it. Maybe now I'll get around to it.

**DISCLAIMER:** Shakespeare got there first, guys. I'm just nailing his leftovers.

**DEDICATION:** J-squared.

I hope you guys enjoy this one, because thenext few chapters shall show quite a few characters you'll recognize from the original play, including Ophelia, Laertes, Rosencranz/Guildenstern, and Osric, as well as two original characters that Jess and I created and love (The Thomas and Horatio's crazy Grandma). So hopefully you'll enjoy our characters and my twists on Shakespeares. I must admit I'm personally particularly fond of Ophelia and Osric.

_FICLET!_

* * *

Hamlet sat at the table, idly tapping his fingers away. Tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tappity-tap-tap-tap. From her spot at the kitchen sink where she was doing dishes, Gertrude glanced over her should, offering a small smile. "Everything alright?"

"Eh, I..." Unable to put the feeling in words, Hamlet stopped, giving a helpless shrug. Gertrude immediately shut off the water and, wiping her soapy hands off on her thighs and thereby totally ruining her skirt, pulled out a chair and sat down next to her son.

"What's the matter?"

Hamlet shrugged yet again. "It's just...we got this...flier...at school today." He broke off, digging into his pocket and pulling out a severely crumpled piece of pink paper and depositing it on the table. With a sigh, he dropped his head to the table, facing away from his mother, who reached out and picked up the pink ball. Very carefully, she unfolded it and smoothed it out until it was flat and as unwrinkled as it could get.

It was immediately easy to see the problem. "PROM" the flier read in large, florid letters. "I see," Gertrude said, placing the paper on the table.

"Yeah," Hamlet responded disconsolately, voice muffled from having his face squished against the table.

"So...who are you planning to invite?" She silently hoped she knew the answer to that question. Hamlet turned to face her, resting his cheek against the table again.

"...I was thinking Horatio," he answered. "Think it's a bad idea?"

Gertrude smiled. "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"I figured you would."

Gertrude laughed, then after a moment, her brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Then I don't understand...what's the problem?"

"Well, first of all, I don't even know if my school allows same-sex couples at prom. Secondly, Horatio and I still haven't told a lot of people about... 'us'...I'm not sure he'd want to come out (if you'll forgive the pun) as a couple at prom, in front of the entire student body."

"Well...I guess you'll never know until you ask," Gertrude said cheerfully, rising to her feet and returning to her dishes.

"I know...I'm going to. He's coming over in a little while and I'm asking him then."

"Good." Gertrude turned the water back on and resumed scrubbing. "So," she began a moment later, "what's the theme?"

"...the what?"

"The theme, Hamlet, the theme. Every prom has a theme...what is it?"

There was a long silence. "...Oh." Hamlet sounded extremely reluctant to share. "...Shgashemede," he mumbled at last.

Gertrude paused, glancing over her shoulder. "...I'm sorry?"

"SHAKESPEARE," Hamlet responded loudly and irritably. Gertrude's reaction was immediate and intense; she let out a squeal of excitement and dishwater went flying everywhere.

"SHAKESPEARE? Oh, how marvelous!"

"Yeah, for YOU, maybe." Hamlet did not sound at all pleased at the prospect.

"Oh, Hamlet, Shakespeare is a wonderful theme! When your father and I went to prom, it was so clichéd. Under the Sea, SO overdone. But SHAKESPEARE!" She shook her head as though the idea was just too intensely cool to fathom. "It's wonderful."

"Is not."

"Oh come on, Hamlet. You like Shakespeare!"

"I do NOT."

"What about Macbeth? Richard III?"

"...TWO PLAYS!" Hamlet objected. "Out of everything he's ever written!"

"Well, that doesn't matter anyway," Gertrude said, changing the subject and looking for all the world as though she thought her son was being a complete dolt. "All that really matters is how handsome Horatio is going to look in period costume."

That got through to Hamlet immediately. "Ooooh, that's right!"

"Just picture him as Orlando...or Paris."

"Yeah..." Hamlet had a dazed look on his face as he contemplated all those costumes. Then, he seemed to catch himself and shook his head as though to get out of the daze. "Whatever, it's still Shakespeare and Shakespeare still..."

"Horatio, darling!" Gertrude interrupted, brilliant smile on her face as her 'adopted son' entered the room. "It's been so long! Come here and give me a hug!"

"Hello, Gertrude." Horatio was soft-spoken as always. A small sweet smile on his face, he stepped into the hug Gertrude had waiting for him, being very careful not to look at Hamlet. Unfortunately for him, this only made it far more obvious just how strong his feelings were.

"...hello, Horatio," Hamlet said at last, voice low and with a teasing edge to it. Finally, Horatio looked at Hamlet. His eyes flickered to the brunette as though he had been trying to avoid this all along, trying not to look at Hamlet but now he couldn't resist any longer. For a split second his gaze locked on Hamlet's face, blue eyes meeting green. Then, he tore his gaze away and focused it instead on the floor, a bright pink flush creeping into his cheeks.

"...h'llo," he mumbled, scuffing the floor with one shoe. Gertrude smiled.

"Well," she began, "I should leave...let you boys be alone."

"Oh no, that's okay, mom, you can stay. Horatio...want to go for a walk?"

Horatio smiled. "I'd love to."

-tbc-


	2. Too Good To Be True

**A/N:** Chapter 2 already! I told you posting it would make me write more! This is mainly stuff I wrote in the last five minutes, though some of it was written already. Enter Ophelia! I love Ophelia. She's annoying as all fuck, but I do enjoy her for it. And don't worry...she's not a bad sort, just a dip.

**DISCLAIMER:** I still don't own Hamlet. Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound.

* * *

Hamlet and Horatio walked together in a small park not too far from the White House. They didn't like staying on the grounds of the White House itself….it made Horatio uncomfortable (the silly dork always felt as though the secret servicemen were judging him, thinking he wasn't good enough to be there), so instead they usually left and went to a park or a movie or something. 

"So," Hamlet began, and paused.

"…..so," Horatio said, moments later, laughing at Hamlet. "Was there a point to this 'so' of yours?"

"Yes," Hamlet smiled. "Why, though, does there have to be one?"

"No, not really."

"Oh, okay, good. Cause you know, I just enjoy walking with you."

Horatio smiled, his cheeks tingeing pink. "You're such a dork."

Hamlet acted surprised. "Me? Oh no, Horatio, you have it all wrong. I'm not the dork; you are. I'm the sexy leading man, and you're the shy bookish type who I draw out of his shell because I can see you for what you really are."

"Oh?" Horatio stopped walking, turning to face Hamlet. "And what am I?"

Hamlet cocked his head to one side and screwed up his face as if thinking hard. "Umm……absolutely breatakingly ravishing?" he suggested at last.

Horatio laughed. "Oh, I bet."

"Shut up, you know you are." Hamlet leaned forwards to kiss Horatio.

"HAMLET!" Horatio ducked away, scandalized. "Not here! Anyone could see!"

"So what? No one cares!"

"I care!"

"GOD, you're impossible sometimes." Hamlet sighed, then walked over to where Horatio was now standing with his back to Hamlet, warily on guard, and the brunette wrapped his arms loosely about Horatio's waist. "So….back to what I was saying before…"

"Which part?"

"The reason behind the 'so'…"

"Oh, right…...what about it?"

Hamlet took a deep breath. "…will you go to prom with me?" And then buried his face in the curve of Horatio's neck. He could feel the blonde's whole body stiffen.

"…..what?"

"I said will you go to prom with me?" Hamlet repeated, his voice muffled against Horatio's throat.

"Yes, that's what I thought you said." Horatio's voice was quiet, and Hamlet was getting nervous.

"……….sooo….?" he said at last.

Gently Horatio pulled free from the loose hold Hamlet held about his waist and laughing, turned to face the brunette. "Of COURSE I will, you nerd!"

"Seriously! You mean it!"

"Of COURSE I MEAN IT! Hamlet! How could you doubt it?"

Hamlet laughed aloud and by God, there was no way he could help it. One hand went to Horatio's waist, the other tangled in long blonde hair and before he really knew what he was doing (okay, screw that, he knew what he was doing) he had pulled Horatio into him and was kissing the blonde with everything he had.

This time, Horatio didn't pull away. There was a moment's hesitation and then Horatio was kissing him back. Pulling back, he stared into Horatio's eyes as he struggled to catch his breath, watching Horatio smile up at him with that pure and simple joy that only Horatio had. It was all too good to be true….literally, for at that moment, Hamlet heard an annoying and all-too familiar screech from behind him.

"HAAAAAMLET!"

He froze. "…..oh no." Slowly Hamlet turned and came face to face with just what he knew he would. "…….Ophelia. Hello. What are you doing here?"

The tiny blonde girl was moving so quickly towards him that she might as well have been running. She always moved that way. "Hamlet, I've been looking EVERYWHERE for you. Oh, hi Horatio."

"Hel…" Horatio began, but Ophelia didn't let him finish.

"Hamlet, I came to speak to you about prom."

"Prom!" Hamlet squeaked, eyes wide with terror.

"Prom," she smiled brightly.

"Prom?" Horatio managed.

"PROM!" She insisted, giving Horatio a strange sort of look before turning back to Hamlet. "So yeah, I've been looking all over for you. We'll be going together, right?"

Hamlet had sort of been expecting this. Horatio on the other hand felt as if he had just been kicked in the face. "Actually, Ophelia, I already asked…"

"Great! You don't mind if I choose the characters, do you? No? Okay, good. I've got to run then…Lae-Lae is taking me dress shopping and I'm already running late. It took me so long to find you. It's like you didn't want to be found or something!" She laughed at the ridiculousness of that idea. "Anyway, I'm off to the mall. I'll tell Lae-Lae you said hello and if I find a dress I'll send you pictures later so you can start planning accordingly. Toodles for now. By, Horatio!" And with that, the petite blonde whirlwind was off, her long braid flapping behind her.

Hamlet and Horatio stood silently, staring wide-eyed after her. It was completely silent other than the wind whistling through the cold April air and the rustle of Horatio's windbreaker jacket. Neither boy seemed to know what to say.

"…..so," Hamlet said at last. "That was……horribly awkward."

"Horribly awkward?" Horatio echoed. "Horribly awkward? That's it? That's all you have to say about it?"

Hamlet looked surprised. "Well, yeah!"

"You don't even care that we can't go to prom together anymore?"

"WHAT!" Now the brunette was downright shocked. "Horatio, what on earth are you talking about? There is no way I am ditching you to go with Ophelia. It's just not happening. Somehow she got this idea in her head years ago that I want to date her, but that doesn't mean it's true, and it REALLY doesn't mean that I'm going to ditch the boy I'm in love with to go to prom with her!"

"Hamlet, you have to!" Horatio practically shouted. Hamlet looked taken aback. "You know how Laertes gets when you piss him off….plus her dad is supposed to be your dad's running mate next election…what'll that do if he gets mad at you, too? You know the man's an idiot. He's just dumb enough to take offense over something as stupid as prom."

Hamlet knew Horatio was right on all those accounts but still hated to admit it. "But I don't want my dad's career to control my love life!"

"Sometimes that's just the way it is, Hamlet." There was a long silence. "Besides," Horatio said ruefully, "it'd break Ophelia's heart if you don't go with her."

"...it's not her heart I'm worried about," Hamlet said at last, softly. Horatio forced a small smile.

"I expect I'll live," he replied. "And either way, she'll just get you for one night. I get you in real life."

Hamlet smiled. "That's true." Stepping forwards, he reached for Horatio, but the blonde pulled away.

"I have to go," he mumbled. "I'll….I'll see you tomorrow." And without another word he was gone, leaving Hamlet alone in the cold wet air of the park as slowly, it began to rain.

-tbc-


End file.
